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Environmental Literacy
How to tell where you are
without other people telling you where to go
Reading for knowledge Writing coherently Thinking critically about the written word
Literacy
To increase access to information, we have braille, sighted readers, talking books, electronic text, speech synthesizers, print scanners and the Internet
Information is power
Information is independence
Literacy requires access to information
The more you know, the more you can accomplish
The more you know, the more adaptable you are
The way to know more is to access information (e.g. through reading)
But independence requires more than just acquiring content knowledge
Literacy and independence
Part of O&M is teaching “how the world works”
Exposure to objects and systems builds a sense of expectation and consistency
Spatial updating involves knowing where you are in space and being able to keep tabs as that position changes
Knowledge of surroundings
Related to concept development Used to guide instruction of young blind
children If a child knows how things operate, how
systems are put together, they are more able to problem solve and figure out “work arounds”
Assumes a child will be more than a route traveler
Teaching “how the world works”
Reading for knowledge
Writing coherently
Thinking critically about the written word
Knowledge about the surroundings
Moving one’s self through the environment efficiently
Thinking critically about the relationship between the traveler, the environment, and any mobility tools being used
Literacy Environmental literacy
If you know where you are and you have a sense of your surroundings, then you can employ basic mechanics to move fluidly through the environment
Knowing where things are in relation to you reduces search time and increases search efficiency (just look at dog guides)
Moving efficiently
Reading for knowledge
Writing coherently
Thinking critically about the written word
Knowledge about the surroundings
Moving one’s self through the environment efficiently
Thinking critically about the relationship between the traveler, the environment, and any mobility tools being used
Literacy Environmental literacy
Higher levels of independent travel require the traveler to adapt more to changing or complex environments
If you get off course, getting back on track requires high level of problem solving (getting “unlost”)
Thinking critically
You don’t miss what you don’t know you’re missing
Blind travelers are expected to achieve their goals by accessing 1% of the available information◦ Based on limited information from cane, auditory
cues, gradient changes, etc. Requires prodigious memory for excellence
No longer necessary, given GPS and smartphone technology
Information feeds the beast
“location information” “environmental information”
◦ Print on signs, buildings, doors◦ Posters◦ Street signs◦ Campaign buttons◦ Graffiti◦ Etc.
But what information is needed?
10 years ago, almost no blind child was being taught map skills
Fundamental to their understanding of the world
Extrapolate from table top tasks to larger and larger environments
Keep consistency to global environment
Map skills
Take 1955 and 2008 as comparison years.
Year Population Registered Fatalities Fatalityvehicles rate
1955 165,931,202 5,690,000 36,688 6.058
2008 301,621,157 255,917,664 37,261 1.24
The changing travel environment
0
10
20
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1890 1910 1930 1950 1970 1990 2010
Fat
aliti
es (
tho
usa
nd
s)
Fatalities
Fatality rate
Rates of all traffic related fatalities(NHTSA Fatality Analysis Reporting System data)
What a traveler needs to know is different now than when even I did my cane training
More vehicles has meant larger intersections, increased use of actuation, and different intersection geometries
ADA has led to wheel chair ramps, detectable warnings (DW), and accessible pedestrian signals (APS)
The modern travel environment
Victoria Park and Finch Ave. E. (now Pawnee Ave.) 1955 and 2010
Then & Now: North York Edition at urbantoronto.ca
Geometries
A modern traveler needs to know about
Halsey & 42 in Portland
APS
Actuation
From www.keona.co.kr
Ramps and detectable warnings
Recommended